Four Years Ago
by Max7
Summary: four long years. they think she's dead, and all she wants to do is find them. Fang takes over when Max dies. or so they thought. Will Max find them?
1. Prologue

"There's Max

FLAHSBACK

"There's Max!" Angel screamed. I was lying on the floor…lifeless. Well, that's what I made them think.

_You're probably wondering what the heck I'm doing. Jeb found a way into my brain. Literally. He told me if I didn't make the Flock think I was dead, he would kill them. He knew how to change our expiration dates. He knew everything._

_He gave me two options. Make them think I was dead, or have them killed right in front of me. I chose make them think I'm dead._

_That bastard. He's going to die and rot in hell. He hacked into their brains too. He would have known if I mentally told Angel, so they all stood around me crying, even Fang._

"_I never got to say…Max, I love you. As so much more than a sister. I'm madly in love with you, and I always have been. But I guess it's a little too late now." One of his tears fell on my cheek, but he wiped it away. I had made my heart stop, and I had quit breathing. I'm not sure how long this could go on._

"_I swear Max, I swear, I will never be with anyone else. I could never love anyone like I love you. Never," Fang promised in my ear. He thought I couldn't hear him._

"_Shouldn't we bury her?" Nudge managed to choke out. Fang sighed._

"_Nudge, they're closing in. We…have to go. I'm so sorry Max. I swear I'm never going to be half the leader you were, but I'm going to take care of them." He gently kissed me on the lips. "Good bye, love. I'll miss you."_

_With that, they ran out, still crying._

"_You did good Maximum," Jeb said after they left._

"_I swear to God if you hurt them, you will die," I spat. He nodded._

"_Okay. Fair enough. They won't even have Flyboys attack. We were after you every time."_

"_That's good. If you hurt a hair on their heads, I will hunt you down and kill you. Got it?" He shook his head._

"_Maximum—"_

"_Max," I corrected. _

"_Maximum, you have a mission," he said before grabbing my hand and leading me into a room._

"_Where are we?"_

"_Your new room. Once you complete your mission, you are free to go."_

"_Whatever." He walked out, shutting the door behind him. I burst into tears. Yes. Me. Maximum Ride was crying. Everyone I loved was gone._

_Angel, my baby, I would never see her sweet, innocent face again. Never hear her beautiful laugh._

_Nudge, my little sister. I would never have someone to talk me through the most awkward silences. Never hear her obnoxious rambling._

_Gazzy, my little devil. I would never have someone to yell at for making bombs. Never learn how to make one, like he promised._

_Iggy, my personal chef. I would never taste his food again. Never hear him and Gazzy blowing something up._

_Fang, my right wing. My love. I would never see him again. I would never…kiss him again. I mean, I only had three times, but I'll never get to again. I'll never have anyone to comfort me when there's something wrong. No one to know my least obvious lies. I would never love again._

_The worst thing is now…he loved me too. He always has. Now, everything I had been running from was nothing. I would never see him again._

None of them. They were all gone forever. I would never forget anything about them.

I shot up. Not again. I'd been having these dreams recently. Of memories of the Flock. Was it a sign? Something I'm not getting? Either way, that was my last memory. Would it just start over? I mean, no, it hadn't gone through all of them. Just the really important things.

My alarm clock went off. Shower time. I warily walked into the bathroom. As soon as I got in the shower, I would feel a little better. Not much. Nice, hot showers were always relaxing.

"Max, breakfast time!" Mom yelled. I sighed and walked downstairs.

"Another one?" Ella asked. She always took how I walked into the kitchen as whether or not I had a dream. I nodded, and sat at the table.

"Listen Max, are you still upset that some person murdered your dad?" I took a deep breath.

"No. I killed that son of a bitch. He's the reason my fucking flock is God knows where and I'm here! I killed that bastard, and I'd do it again!" I looked at my plate. Mom was staring wide-eyed at me.

"You killed him? And he what?" I nodded and stood up.

"We've got to go," I muttered. Ella stood up and we walked out to the car. Damn it!  
"Was that a smart thing to tell her?" she asked as we pulled out of the driveway. I shrugged.

"Probably not. But she needed to know."


	2. Chapter 1

"Max, wait up

"Max, wait up!" my best friend, Allison called. I had completed my mission, finally. I was free. For now.

"Hey Ally," I said as she caught up to me. I was not the same. I was never happy, and she understood why. She knew my entire life story. Everything about me.

"So, what are you doing this weekend?" she asked curiously. I shrugged.

"Nothing. Literally." She smiled.

"My parents are going out of town, and they said I could have a party, since our house is like huge!" she exclaimed. I shushed her.

"Let's remember, we're in the middle of the school hallway," I reminded her. She smiled innocently.

"My bad…" I rolled my eyes.

"My mom won't care. She loves you," I said enthusiastically. Shit. I hadn't been to a party since…something happened at one.

"Maybe I can hook you up with someone," she offered. I stared at her.

"No. He made a promise, and I will too. I'm not going to be with anyone else. I have to find them," I said firmly. She sighed.

"You can't look for him forever," she said quietly. I nodded.

"Yes I can, and I will look until I find them." She sighed and we walked outside.

"See you," she said as she ran to her car. I nodded and got in mine.

Mom spoiled me. She got me a dark purple mustang convertible. I patiently waited for Ella, and when I saw her, I almost cried. She was crying.

"Go," she whispered after shutting her door. I nodded and drove off.

"Shane's a bastard! He was cheating on me!" she said once we were out of sight from the school. My jaw locked. I had warned her, but still. I had seen his and that girl with red hair, but she thought I was making it up. Ironic, right? I had told her from the beginning I didn't like him, so she thought I was just trying to break them up.

"You were right. I'm so sorry I didn't listen. You warned me, many times. I'm so sorry!" she said after she had managed to quit crying.

"It's okay," I said sweetly. "Just believe me next time." She nodded.

"Definitely." I smiled and went on driving home.

"Max," Mom said once I got inside. I looked at her. "Tell me the whole story." I took a deep breath.

"Jeb found a way into the flock's brains. He could tell everything that went on. He told me that if I didn't make the flock think I was dead, then he would kill them, right in front of me."

"He can't do that. It's six against one," Mom interrupted.

"That's what I said. Mom, he controlled our expiration dates. He could kill them whenever he wanted. So I couldn't let Angel know. So I was being held prisoner with everyone thinking I'm dead, being experimented on, and being forced to save the world alone. Then, once I did, I gave him what he deserved. Well, not exactly. He got off easy." I walked into my room.

I turned on my stereo. The song "What About Now" by Daughtry was playing. It had just started.

_Shadows fill an empty heart as love is fading _

_From all the things that we are and are not _

_Saying can we see beyond the scars and make_

_It to the dawn? Change the colors of the sky _

_And open up to the way you made me feel alive_

_The ways I've loved you. For all the things that_

_Never died to make it through the night. Love_

_Will find you._

_What about now? What about today? What if_

_You're making me, all that I was meant to be?_

_What if our love never went away? What if it's_

_Lost behind, words we could never find? Baby_

_Before it's too late. What about now?_

_The sun is breaking in your eyes to start a new_

_Day. This broken heart can still survive with the_

_Touch of your grace. As shadows fade into the_

_Light, I am by your side where love will find you._

_What about now? What about today? What if_

_You're making me, all that I was meant to be?_

_What if our love never went away? What if it's_

_Lost behind, words we could never find? Baby_

_Before it's too late._

_What about now, now that we're here? Now_

_That we've come this far, just hold on. There's_

_Nothing to fear. For I am right beside you, for_

_All my life, I am yours._

_What about now? What about today? What if_

_You're making me, all that I was meant to be?_

_What if our love never went away? What if it's_

_Lost behind, words we could never find? Baby_

_Before it's too late. What about now?_

It is weird. That song is so much like how I feel. It is my favorite song. It reminds me of…yeah, it makes me sad and happy.

Iwillflyhigh has logged on.

I was randomly getting on AIM. Yeah, random me.

Promise not to kill me, but I was talking to someone I had no clue who it was. I mean, I never gave any personal info, but I did talk to him. He was really cool.

Heartcantmoveon is online. Yes.

Iwillflyhigh: hhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllooooooooooooo

Heartcantmoveon: Uhh…hi. Someone's hyper today.

Iwillflyhigh: I'm in a mixed mood. My sister found out her bf was cheating on her the hard way, and I'm going to a party.

Heartcantmoveon: now she probably feels bad about not listening to you.

Iwillflyhigh: yeah

Heartcantmoveon: the party thing is cool.

Iwillflyhigh: yeah.

Heartcantmoveon: so you've never told me…what's up with your name?

Iwillflyhigh: uh…idk. Random. Well, I've always wanted to fly.

Well, it's not like I could tell him. I mean he'd never talk to me again. I didn't want that. He was funny. He always made me laugh when I needed to.

Heartcantmoveon: cool. Me too.

"Max!" Mom yelled. I sighed. What did I do this time?

Iwillflyhigh: I have to go. Ttyl.

Iwillflyhigh has logged off.

"Yes?" I asked walking into the living room.

"Have you seen your Trig grade?" she asked in a very disapproving tone. I sighed.

"I'm trying Mom, but I will have it up to at least a C by the end of the semester, I promise." She nodded.

"You better. Maybe you should spend less time on the computer, and more time studying." I nodded.

"Yes ma'am." Well, she was my mom. I had to be nice. "Mom, can I go to a party at Ally's house this weekend?" She looked at me.

"I don't care, but you have to promise to spend the rest of the weekend studying."

"Promise." She smiled.

"Good." Why did she care so much about grades? As soon as I was ready, I was gone. I was going to find my flock.

Ella was in her room.

"Max, there's something outside the window!" she screamed as I walked by. I shot in there.

"What?"

"I saw a dark figure on the outside!" I froze. It couldn't be? I ran to the window and opened it.

"Who's there?" I asked coldly. Meaning, deadly.

"Me, dummy." It was…Iggy.

"Ig?" I asked, stunned. That's a start.

"Max? You died? How the hell are you alive?" I pulled him in Ella's window.

"Uh…long story. But oh my God!" I squealed and hugged him.

"You know, you're prettier than Fang described." I pulled back and looked at him.

"Huh?"

"Oh, I can see now," he said quickly. I smiled and hugged him again.

"Where's everyone else?" I asked after I pulled back. He sighed.

"New Jersey. That's where we live. Fang actually let me come alone." I stared at him.

"I'm going to kick his ass." He grinned.

"Well, without me, how will you find him?" I frowned.

"Damn it." He smirked.

"So, I have plenty of time. Talk." I sighed.

I told him the very long, sad story. He sighed.

"Where's the bastard now?" he muttered. I grinned.

"In a hole in the ground. After I saved the world, I broke his neck." Iggy slapped me a high five.

"Smart." Ella smiled.

"So, how have you all been?" she asked curiously. He smiled and looked up at her.

"Good. I guess. Fang's been trying, really hard, to fill in your shoes. He knows he never will, but he's doing really well. He's really upset, still, but he never shows it. I just sometimes walk by his room and hear him crying. Angel reads it from his thoughts. He smiles a lot now, but they are just a show. He'll never admit any of this." I sighed.

"Can I come to your house?" I asked eagerly. He grinned and nodded.

"Okay. We'll make you a surprise." I smiled and looked up at Ella.

"Want to come?" she nodded.

"Will Mom care?" I shrugged.

"Tell her you need this to get over the son of a bitch that cheated on you," I suggested. Iggy frowned.

"Who am I killing?" She smiled.

"His name is Shane." He nodded.

"Shane." I smiled and walked into the kitchen.

"Mom, you aren't going to believe this, but come here." I pulled her into Ella's room, and she gasped.

"Iggy?" she asked, shocked. He nodded.

"In the flesh!" he said happily. I grinned.

"So, can me and El go with him to get the rest of the flock?" I asked hopefully. She sighed and looked between me, Ella, and Iggy.

"I guess," she muttered. Ella squealed and hugged her.

"Thank you Mom!" She nodded.

"You both better take your cell phones. They'll probably die on the way up there, so one of you have it on until it dies, and then the other one turn theirs on."

"We'll have Ella's first," I informed her.

"Okay." I nodded, and we all walked out the front door.

"Iggy do you want to carry her first, or do you want me to?" He shrugged.

"I can. I could actually carry her the whole way. I've gotten a lot stronger." I rolled my eyes. Show off.

"Well, I have new powers," I said happily. He nodded.

"So does everyone else." I frowned.

"What can they do?"

"Fang can control fire, and it's awesome. His hands light up, and it's fucking awesome! Angel can control not only people, but also objects. She throws stuff at Gazzy when he gets annoying. Gazzy can blow stuff up without a bomb." He looked at me for a second.

"No," I said horrified. He shook his head.

"His fist." I nodded. "Anyways, Nudge can feel people's feelings. I can see things. Like dead people. No joke. And like stuff that's going to happen, stuff that has happened. Kind of like visions, but I actually see it happening." I gaped at him.

"That's awesome!" He nodded

"What about you?" I smiled.

"I can control people's feelings. Like I can make them hallucinate things. They might think their leg is in pain, but it's just me. They might think it's really hot, but it's me. I can make them sad, happy, in love, or anything! I can control how they feel basically," I said, summarizing it all in the last sentence. He nodded.

"That suits you. A leader needs to be able to control people." I smiled.

"Yeah. I guess."

We flew hours. We told about stuff that had happened to us over the two years of my being gone. Iggy said everyone was basically the same, except Fang actually talked more now. Well, as a leader, you have to.

We never stopped. We flew on until the next morning.

"I'm hungry," Iggy said, breaking our silence. We both looked at him.

"Me too," Ella agreed. We landed and went into Waffle House. We were going to make it to New Jersey by tonight.


	3. Chapter 2

Fang's POV

"Fang, I'm hungry," Nudge said walking into my room. I shut my laptop. I still updated my blog. "What's for lunch?"

Four years. Four years have gone by since…since…you know. I walked into the kitchen.

"Well, our chef has gone to visit…Ella, and he won't be back till either tonight or tomorrow, so we'll have to settle with me," I said shrugging. She smiled.

"You're good too." I ruffled her hair.

"A hell of a lot better than—" Gazzy stopped. We all knew who he was talking about. We nodded. Angel hugged Total.

"We all miss her," that damn dog said. "Max was a—" I slammed the refrigerator door shut. Why must he insist on torturing us all?

"Yeah. We do," Angel agreed. "Don't say her name!" She was trying to whisper so I wouldn't hear, but I did.

"So, there's pizza, pasta, chicken, or there's also hot pockets." I had to do my best. I made two promises, and I am going to keep those.

Promise 1: I would never be with anyone else. I hadn't and won't.

Promise 2: I would take care of the Flock. That was going to continue to happen. Forever.

"There's one thing you do better than her," Total observed. I gritted my teeth and gave him death glares. "You always have food."

"She tried!" I shouted. "She always tried her hardest! We never had anywhere to go, and never stayed in one place, so she did a hell of a lot better than me! She kept us alive while we were on the run! Shut the fuck up!" They all stared at me. Their eyes were opened wide. I…had never done that before. I mean no one was ever dumb enough to compare us.

"Uh…pizza," Nudge said, changing the subject. I nodded, and I picked up the phone. There's Dominos or Pizza Hut.

"Dominos," Angel said quietly. I nodded and dialed the number.

Thirty minutes later, there were five pizzas here. Ham and bacon for me. It's the best. Everyone but Total and Akila got their own. Those two shared a meat lover's. We all usually ate in our bedrooms.  
We managed to keep the house clean, shockingly enough. I was really depressed, so cleaning helped me get my mind off…

"Fang, can I eat in here with you?" Angel asked from my doorway. I looked up at her and nodded. She sat on my bed, and then sighed.

"Forgot the door." She looked at it, and concentrated. It shut. That is still really cool to this day.

"Damn! I forgot a plate!" I frowned.  
"Watch your language," I ordered. She stared at me and then nodded.

"Sorry." I smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Everything will get better." She nodded, and a plate flew in the room. She could control objects anywhere within a mile radius.

"Fang, can we rent a movie?" Nudge asked after I got in from taking all the boxes to the garbage cans.

"What do you want to see?" I asked as I went to wash my hands. I had to teach them to stay clean.

"Well, I wanted to see "The Grudge II"," I sighed.

"Last time when you saw "The Grudge", you had nightmares," I reminded her. She frowned.

"I was a little baby then," she mumbled. I raised my eyebrows.

"Nudge, that was last week!" She sighed.

"Well, we can find something else then!" I shrugged.

"I guess," I said as I grabbed my wallet.

I had rich parents who died a year ago. We had found them, and lived with them…until they were in a car accident. They had written in their will that everything went to me. I was their only living family.

So, here I was with billions of dollars in an account at eighteen. We were definitely going to be okay.

"Oh, look!" Nudge said pointing to a movie that was no doubt a chick-flick. I sighed and looked at what she was pointing at. It was.

""The Holiday"?" I asked. She nodded. I rolled my eyes and looked at Gazzy and Angel. Angel nodded, and Gazzy was with me. Hell no!

"Hang on." I pulled out my cell phone and called Iggy.

"Hello?" he asked with a weird tone. Like he had just been laughing.

"Where are you?" I asked curiously.

"On my way home. Why?"

"Well, I wanted to know if you were going to be home tonight because we're renting a movie. It's a tie. Help!" He laughed.

"What is it?" he asked.

""The Holiday.""

"Hell no! Major chick-flick! And yes, I'm going to be." I silently thanked God.

"Okay. See you." I slammed my phone shut.

"Sorry. Three against two. No." Nudge frowned.

"He's not even here!" she protested.

"But he's going to be," I pointed out. She stuck her tongue out at me.

"What is it with men and chick-flicks?" she muttered.  
"What is it with girls and action movies?" Gazzy retorted. I trained him well. I grinned.

"Action movies are way too gory and lots of people die and they're so pointless and why would someone want to watch people get killed? They're stupid!" Nudge answered.

"No. Chick-flicks are stupid," I corrected. She rolled her eyes.

"To men. Emphasis on the chick." I nodded and we walked down another isle.

I turned to look at Angel and didn't notice I was about to hit a girl in the isle. I did, and I slammed into her hard.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," I said apologetically. I helped her stand.

"It's okay," she said after looking at me. "I'm Amanda. Nice to meet you." I nodded.

"Sorry, once again." She smiled.

"It's okay, once again." I nodded. "What's your name?" I froze.

"Uh…Nick," I lied. She smiled.

"Oh. So Nick, who are these kids?" she looked at my…Max's Flock. I would never call them mine. Even though she wasn't here, we were still her flock.

"My brothers and sisters. We're kind of in a hurry," I lied, again. She nodded.

"Sorry." I walked past her.

"How do you manage to not notice pretty girls?" Nudge asked in a whispered tone.

"Huh?" I never even looked at looks. They didn't matter. I just saw people. Never beautiful people, ugly, just, people. Well, now I do. Now that I had a promise to keep. It made things a hell of a lot easier. Except…her. I have always thought of her as my beautiful leader. I have loved her for as long as I can remember. Since I first laid eyes on her.

"Fang?" Angel asked shaking my arm.

"Huh?"

"Amanda was really pretty," Angel said sweetly. I shook my head.

"No! I made a promise, and I intend to keep it. Not only for her, but also for me. I could never be with anyone else." They both sighed and reluctantly followed me.

"How's this?" Nudge asked holding up the movie "50 First Dates" I sighed. That was as much action as we would get. Everyone nodded.

"I don't want that," Angel said softly. I looked at her.

"It's a romantic comedy. It's something we'll all agree on. Mostly."

"But—"

"Angel, it's a romantic comedy. It's something everyone wants," I repeated. "Except you."

I rented the movie, and we walked outside. We got into my black mustang convertible. It had enough room for everyone.

"So, now let's go home!" I said as I started the car. Nudge was sitting up front.

"No! Fang, can we go by the mall really quick? They're having this really good sale on a pair of shoes I wanted!" I sighed.

"Going to the mall has never and will never be real quick," I pointed out. Gaz and Angel agreed with Nudge on the mall, so that's where we went.

"Fang, we could let you find a girl to—"

"Nudge, please just stop!" She nodded, and we walked into the store Nudge was looking for the pair of shoes at.

She found them, but like I feared, we didn't stop there. Nudge and Angel dragged us into Claire's. Nudge was Gazzy's girlfriend, so she could get him to do just about anything with her glare. Grr. Wimp. Why did he not just lay down the law?  
She would knock him senseless if he did, that's why.

They bought purses and shoes and clothes. Guess who got stuck being bag boy! Me.

"Guys, the mall closes in thirty minutes. Iggy could be home any minute!" I informed them. They reluctantly followed me.

"Now, should we start this now," Nudge asked as we walked in the door. "Or wait for Iggy?" I just looked at her. "Ig." I nodded, and I put all of the bags in Angel and Nudge's room.

We had an extra room, but they wanted to share anyways. Oh well.

"Fang, why can't we go to normal school?" Angel asked for the millionth time.

"Last time completely sucked, and it's just…I can't." She nodded.

"Okay." That was not the last time she would ask. I know it.

"Iggy needs to hurry and get his a—"

"Gaz," I warned.

"Butt here," he finished. I nodded.

"So tell me. Why are you and Iggy allowed to cuss, but we aren't?" Nudge asked.

"We're eighteen, and you are fifteen, twelve, and ten, that's why," I shot back.

"Well, you and Max did when you were my age!" I froze. She never…made it to fifteen. "I mean…I…" She sighed. "I didn't mean to say her name." I could feel the tears coming, so I just stood up.

"It's okay," I whispered before giving her a small smile and walking to my room. I shut the door. I tried wiping them away, but a few stray tears did fall.

Okay. It's not normal for a guy to cry, but I was hopelessly in love. Now my love is dead. Anytime she's referred to at all, every little bit of pain comes back. I will never get over this. I have never thought of suicide. They needed me. I promised…I promised. I had already broken my promise. I would never leave her. That's why she died. I had left her to go find everyone else. I had left her all alone.

This was all my fault. Maybe that's one reason why it hurt me so much more than it did everyone else.

'It's not your fault Jeb's a traitor and killed her.' Angel.

"What have I told you about mind peeking?" I asked, turning to see my door wide open and her standing in my doorway.

"Fang, don't beat yourself up about this. She died because of Jeb. He killed her. His own daughter. I hope that jerk rots in hell!"

"Me too Angel. I wonder what Val thinks. If she knew Jeb did it, she would hunt him down and kill him herself." She grinned and nodded.

"Nine o'clock at night," Gazzy whined. "Where the hel-k is Iggy?" I rolled my eyes.

"Helk?" He grinned and nodded.

"Yep. Fnick." I rolled my eyes, and we walked back into the living room. I pulled out my phone and called Iggy.

"Where the hell are you Iggy?"

"Five minutes away. I swear."

"Okay. We ended up getting "50 First Dates"," I warned. He sighed.

"Fun. See you in five." He hung up. Okay then.

"He'll be here in five minutes," I told them.

"Yea!" Angel squealed. I nodded and she hugged me. "Sit by me during the movie." I smiled.

"Okay sweetie," I said patting her shoulder. "Everyone go get on your pajamas really quickly." They all nodded and ran into their rooms.

My pajamas were a tee shirt and pajama pants. Till I went to sleep. Then I lost the shirt. The pants were black with blue strips. My shirt was black with AC DC written in white letters on it.

I was the first one back in the living room. I grabbed a few pillows from my room. I popped some popcorn. I had pulled on my black sleep socks too.

Angel came in next. She had put on a pink cami. She had dark pink shorts with light pink flowers. My little princess.

"Thank you," she said happily. I smiled and handed her the popcorn. Better pop a few more bags.

I grabbed some Mountain Dews out of the refrigerator. Total and Akila were sitting in front of the TV.

"Total, sorry for yelling at you earlier," I said once I came back in. He looked at me.

"Sorry about what I said. Sometimes I say things before I think." I smiled and walked back into the kitchen. I got out some of the candy I had gotten. Skittles, sour gummy worms, sour Skittles, M&M's, and Reese's. This was the life.

"Iggy's here!" Angel exclaimed. Nudge ran in with her purple shorts with pink hearts. She had on a lavender cami.

"Yes!" Gazzy walked in with his crimson pants and white tees shirt. He had his pillow too. They saw all the snacks. I put the candy down and I went and unlatched the door.

"It's about time," I said as I opened the door. I looked and saw he had Ella. Was there…?

"Long story," he said smirking. "Long story short." He took a step to the side to reveal…Max standing there smiling. Oh…my…God.


	4. Chapter 3

Max's POV

Max's POV

Iggy took a step to the side so Fang could see me. He froze and just stared.

"Hi," I said quietly. He blinked and then smiled.

"Iggy, what are we going to do with you? You go to visit one girl and bring back two." I shoved him inside and I pinned him against the wall.

"I still remember your promise," I whispered before hugging him tightly.

"So do I," he whispered back. I turned to face the rest of the Flock. Angel was jumping up squealing, and Nudge and Gazzy were gaping at me.

"Hi," I said dumbly. Angel jumped on me.

"Max! Max, Max, Max!" she squealed. I hugged her tightly.

"I have missed you guys so much," I whispered into her hair. She hugged me again.

"We thought you were dead! Iggy said—"

"Long story short. Jeb threatened to kick your expirations dates in early because he was the one with the control of it. He said if I didn't make you guys think I was dead, or if I told Angel mentally, I would have to watch you all die. I couldn't bear to see that. He found a way into our brains, oddly enough, and he knew everything that was going on," I briefly explained.

"Where is he now?" Angel asked curiously.

"A hole in the ground," I said happily. She grinned.

"What did you do?" she asked eagerly.

"Snapped his neck." They all burst out laughing.

"Do you not feel bad about killing your dad?" Nudge asked running up to me. I hugged her tightly.

"I didn't have a dad. I had a biological father, but he was not my dad." She nodded and hugged me again. Gazzy next. Angel and Nudge had walked over to Ella and Iggy. I glanced at Fang for a second, and he was glowing. He was still smiling, and he closed his eyes for a second.

"Well, that bas…jerk deserved it." Fang glanced at Gazzy then grinned.

"First we get helk, and now we've got basjerk?" I glanced between them. I let go of Gazzy and I hugged Fang again.

"You kept all of your promises, huh?" He pulled back and nodded.

"I try to." He looked down. "I kind of broke one." I frowned.  
"What?" I asked blankly. If he had someone else…I would cry.

"I left you." I rolled my eyes.

"You had to get them out of there," I reminded him. He sighed. "It doesn't count. Thank you. For everything." He smiled.

"Like I said, I try to keep my promises." I smiled. Iggy came up behind me.

"Dude, did Max tell you? We're already married and expecting. Stay away from my wife," he teased. Fang rolled his eyes.

"Dude, did I already tell you? I'm going to kick you ass!" Fang chased him back to the back of the house.

"Max, are you going to stay here tonight?" Angel pleaded.

"If you want me to," I said sweetly. They all nodded.

"Live here!" Nudge exclaimed. I sighed.

"Guys, I can't. I have to get back home as soon as possible. I am going to school, Mom would get pissed if I never brought back Ella, and I…" I sighed.

"Well, maybe Fang will let us come with you!" Angel suggested. I nodded.

"If he doesn't, we'll send Ella back on a plane. I am never leaving you guys again. I mean, God I love you Ella, but I can't leave them. Ever." She smiled and nodded.

"It's okay. I get it." Iggy ran back in and Fang tackled him. I looked at the table. Mountain Dew, popcorn, and tons of candy? It's like nine thirty! Fang and Iggy stood up.

"Fang, come here," I said gesturing for him to come towards me.

"Yes?" he asked, getting really close.

"Mountain Dew?" I asked. He grinned.

"It helps them sleep. They get hyper, like really hyper, and they crash thirty minutes later." I stared at him and then nodded.

"Okay." Angel grabbed his arm.

"Fang, can we move back to Arizona with Max?" she asked sweetly. He shrugged.

"Sweetie, that's up to her." He looked back at me.

"She said the same thing," she retorted. Fang grinned.

"I guess we are." I smiled.

"Oh, I must warn you…Mom enrolled me in school. She might enroll you guys too." Everyone but Fang cheered. He took a deep breath.

"Now you'll have Max with you," Angel said sweetly. Fang opened his eyes wide. I nudged him gently.

"I have to talk to you," I whispered. He nodded and led me back to his room. He shut his door once we were in there, and turned to look at me.

I kissed him before I changed my mind. He was stunned for a second, but he was definitely kissing me back. I pushed him gently against the door, and he put his arms around my waist. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he tilted his head.  
"I love you Fang," I said breathlessly. He blinked and then grinned.

"Well Max, you know, I love you too." I nodded and kissed him again. I pulled back quickly this time and burst into tears. He put his arms around me.

"What's wrong?" he whispered into my hair.

I finally managed to quit crying.  
"I missed you all so much, and now you're here, and I…I…Fang, I love you so much, and I'm just so happy. I'm not sure if these are happy tears, or the tears brought back on how much I missed you guys. I just know I love you. And I missed you. I missed everyone." He smiled.

"I love you too, and trust me, everyone missed you too. Even Total." I smiled. "Max, we have all been heartbroken too. I even cried. You had it worse though. You were the only one we missed. You had five people to miss." I nodded and kissed him again.

"Yeah. I did. I really, really missed you though." He wrapped his arms around me and took a deep breath.

"I missed you too. So much." We stood like this for a few minutes. Someone knocked on the door. I pulled back, and Fang stepped to the side. He opened the door.

"Are we going to watch the movie or not?" Angel asked crossing her arms. Fang smiled and ruffled her hair.

"We are," he promised. I grabbed his hand, and he smiled even brighter. He pulled me into the living room. Gazzy and Iggy were talking. Who knows what about.

"Sit by me Max," Angel said pulling on my free hand.

"I thought you told me to," Fang said raising an eyebrow. She smiled.

"I have two sides." Fang rolled his eyes, and he gently pulled his hand free and walked into the kitchen. He brought back three more Mountain Dews.

"Uh…that's not such a good idea with Max," Ella warned. I rolled my eyes.

"Why?" Fang asked as he sat them on the table.

"She talks, non stop, and doesn't go to sleep until the next night. She talks worse than Nudge." I frowned.

"Liar," I muttered. She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," she said snidely. Fang looked torn for a second.

"Should I?" he asked looking at the rest of the flock.

"Yeah!" Angel squealed. I blinked a few times.

"Ella, I'm shocked," I said turning to face her. She gave me a puzzled look. "We left last night, and didn't stop. I'm shocked you aren't tired." She frowned.

"Well I've gone forty one hours without sleep," she reminded me.

"Yes, but you were a pain in the ass," I teased. She glared at me.

"Well, at least I'm not like you and a bitch all the time." I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Cat fight," I heard Gazzy whisper.

"Unlike you, I'm not a slutty, skanky, hoe!" I said, playfully shoving her. She shoved me back.

"Well at least I'm still a virgin!" she shot back. I froze. Everyone turned and looked at me. Ella gasped. "Oh my God Max. I'm so sorry."

"You bitch," I muttered before I ran off to the back. I found the bathroom, shut the door, and locked it. I burst into tears. Ella knocked on the door.

"Max, I'm sorry. I forgot they were all around," she pleaded.

"Go away!" I hissed. She sighed. I heard another set of footsteps. Oh God, I hope it's not…

"Max," Fang said quietly. His voice sounded hurt, but he would never admit that.

Long story short. Ella and me had gone to a party. Someone raped me. I got pregnant. I ended up having a miscarriage. So now my flock thinks I've had sex with someone thanks to my loud-mouthed sister!

I finally opened the door. I didn't even look at Ella. I sat on the couch, and Angel hugged me.

"Max has a boyfriend!" Angel squealed. I shook my head.

"He wasn't my boyfriend," I muttered. Fang gave me a puzzled look. "I never had one." Now they all just gave me weird looks. "I really don't want to talk about it." Angel looked at me for a second, and then tears came to her eyes.

"Max…" she burst into tears. Shit!  
"Angel, you see, that's why you shouldn't read people's minds. You never did anything to deserve to have to see that," I said picking her up in my arms. She hugged me.

"Max…" she choked. "I'm so sorry." Ella sighed, and Fang looked at me.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I'll tell you later." He reluctantly nodded. "You want to watch that movie now?" She shook her head.

"No." Fang froze.

"I'll show you where her room is," he mumbled. I nodded and followed him.

I set her down on her bed and tucked her in. She was asleep by the time we walked back there. Fang grabbed my wrist before I could get away. He pulled me into his room.

"Talk. Now." I took a deep breath.

"I was raped," I whispered, with tears filling my eyes. Fang growled.

"Where is that bastard? That son of a bitch is going to die! I'm going to kill him!" he said through gritted teeth. I took a deep breath.

"I already did." He looked at me. "After he…yeah, he untied me. He said he was going to cut off my wings. I kicked him off and started getting dressed. He lunged at me, and I kicked him in the wall. He jumped at me, and I moved out of the way. He killed himself basically." I looked down. This was really embarrassing.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. He kissed the top of my head. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"It's not your fault." I looked up at him and kissed him on the lips. He kissed me back. I knotted my fingers in his hair, and he tilted his head. He gently pushed me back on the bed and kissed my neck.

"I know. I love you, so much." I smiled.

"I love you too." He looked at me and kissed me again.

"You know, I've wanted to do this for so long," Fang whispered. I smiled.

"I'm sure you have," I teased. He grinned and stood up. He grabbed my hand.

"Come with me," he said giving my arm a little tug.

"Gladly," I whispered before following him into the living room. Ella was sitting on the couch. I sighed.

"El, it's okay," I said behind her. She stood up and smiled.

"Max, I swear it was—"

"It's okay Ella," I said again. She smiled and hugged me. I hugged her back, and then Iggy cleared his throat. Ella rolled her eyes.

"Guys get so protective over their girlfriends," she mumbled. I nodded, and Fang gaped at them. He punched Iggy's arm.

"Since when have you two been dating?" he asked. Iggy grinned.

"Since…three hours ago." I smiled and nodded. Fang grinned and put his arms around my waist.

"Since when have you two been dating?" Ella squealed. I thought.

"Since…about…" I looked up at him.

"Thirty minutes ago," he finished. I nodded.  
"Yep." She squealed.

"Finally!" Iggy exclaimed. "All our lives we all wanted you two to get together, then Max 'died', but now you two finally are!" We both rolled our eyes.

"Fang, you've done a great job," I said honestly. He smiled.

"They were already well trained."

"Only by the best," Iggy said giving me a quick hug. Fang rolled his eyes.

"Dude I'm not like you," he muttered. I smiled and took a deep breath.

"Where can a girl go to sleep?" I asked. They both looked at me.

"Well, there's a bed big enough for one in the guest room, and there's a couch, and there's…I don't know," Fang said thinking.

"Ella, take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch," I said quickly. Fang frowned. "This is your house." He nodded.

"Exactly. You're a guest—"

"Who wants to sleep on the couch." He knew I was going to win this one. Iggy walked Ella off to show her where the room was. Fang pulled me close to him.

"You don't have to sleep on the couch," he whispered before gently kissing me. I shook my head and pulled back.

"No. You are not sleeping on the couch for me." He frowned. He kissed my nose.

"Please?" I shook my head.

"No." I walked to the couch and laid down. He rolled his eyes.

"You laying down doesn't mean anything," he muttered. I rolled my eyes.

"I swear if I wake up and you're on the couch, I will kill you." He thought for a second and then nodded.

"Okay." He kissed me gently. "Good night Max." He walked out, and came back in with a pillow and a blanket.

"Good night Fang," I whispered as he walked to the front door. He locked it, and started turning lights out. I closed my eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.


	5. Epilogue

Fang's POV

Fang's POV

"Max!" some girl yelled in the school parking lot. Max's head snapped up and she squealed.

"Ally!" she hugged her. "This is Fang." Ally just stared at me.

"You found them?" she asked excited. Max nodded.

"Yep." Max grabbed my hand, and Ally squealed.

"I'm Allison. Max's either third or sixth best friend. You can call me Ally. Everyone else does." I nodded.

"Ally. Got it." Max was smiling brightly. God she has a beautiful smile.

"Aw. Max, Fang's thinking you have a beautiful smile!" Angel said as Nudge was walking her to elementary school. Max looked at me.

"You do," I said quietly. She smiled.

"Thanks." She squeezed my hand a little. Ally just put on an aw face.

"Damn it Ally!" Max exclaimed. "I get that enough from Ella, Nudge, and Angel!" Ally grinned.

"What, this?" she asked before putting on the face again. Max grimaced.

"Yes, that!" She pulled on my arm a little. "Come here." Ally smiled.

"I'll meet you inside!" she called. I looked at Max.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked curiously. She pulled me to the side of the school, where it was literally deserted. She pinned me against the wall.

"I love you," she whispered before kissing me. I kissed her back and tilted my head. I put my arms around her waist, and her hands slid around my neck. I pulled her as close to me as possible.

God only knows how long we stood there making out, but when Max pulled back we were both breathless.

"We should probably get inside," she whispered before kissing me quickly. I nodded.

"Of course my love. After you." She smiled and grabbed my hand.

"That'll be our secret make-out spot!" she said excitedly. I raised an eyebrow. "We'll call it SMOS. Smos."

"So, whenever one of us says meet at smos, go there?" she nodded.

"Yeah. Now come on lover boy. You would hate to be late your first day." I shrugged.

"I'd rather spend all day with this beautiful girl holding my hand," I said simply. Max smiled and pulled me inside.

I got a lot of envious looks. Guys were giving me death glares. What the hell have I done? Max walked us up to a locker where Ally was waiting.

"Damn boy. You're here one day and you're already hated by the football, soccer, cross country, baseball, basketball, and tennis teams." I shrugged.

"I don't know why," I said innocently. Max was staring off into space.

"Max has been asked out a lot. She never said yes to anyone. Now here you come, a new kid to them, and you're dating. They aren't going to like you." I grinned.

"So it's all my sexy girlfriend's fault?" I asked, looking over at Max. She crossed her arms.

"I'm going to put a brown paper bag over my head," she grumbled. I shook my head.

"Please don't. Then I wouldn't be able to see your beautiful face, or beautiful smile." She smiled and kissed my cheek.

"You either want something, or there's going to be something broken when I get home. Or you did something, and you're buttering me up now so I won't get mad later" I shook my head.

"None of that stuff is true to my knowledge," I said honestly. She smiled.

"Good. Then I'd have to kick your ass when we get home." I nodded.

"That's better than what you did last time." She grinned. Ally sighed.

"How did you two do it? You found your soul mates without even looking! God you two are perfect for each other! I'm so jealous." We both looked at her. "Of the fact you've already found that perfect someone." We both smiled and nodded.

"Yes we have," Max whispered.

This is going to sound ironic. Max, Iggy, and me all have the same classes. Every one. It's weird. Awesome, but weird. And since Max's last name started with an M and mine started with an L, we sat beside each other or pretty damn close in every class.

"So, where do you want to sit?" Max teased. "With me, or all your sports buddies?" I rolled my eyes.

"I think I'll pick the prettier choice." She smiled, and we sat down by Allison.

"Max," Allison whispered. Max leaned across the table, and Allison whispered something in her ear.

"Oh I know. I wasn't lying." She sat back down, and grabbed my hand. I smiled.

"So, Fang, do you have an AIM?" Ally asked. I looked up at her and nodded. Max looked confused.

"Yeah. My name is…well, now it's pointless, but when I made it, it made sense. My name is Heartcantmoveon." Max almost choked on her French fry she was eating. I put my hand on her back.

"Are you okay?" Ally asked after Max had taken a sip of her water. Max nodded.

"What was that for?" I asked.

"Mr. Heartcantmoveon, meet Miss Iwillflyhigh." I just stared at her. She was my AIM buddy that I always loved talking to? She was my AIM buddy who's Dad tried to kill her? I grinned.

"Ironic isn't it?" I asked. She nodded.

"Yeah. Even though you didn't know it, you were helping me through life," she whispered. I smiled.

"That's good." She kissed my cheek as she stood up.

"Come on." I looked at her. "Smos." I rolled my eyes, but gladly followed her.

We walked back inside, and Max wouldn't let go of my hand.

"I have a question," she said pulling a Sharpie out of her locker and turning to face me. I just stared at her, which was very easy to do. "Can I write something on your hand?" She gave me the Bambi eyes mixed with the puppy dogface.

"Damn it! I thought those were cute on Nudge and Angel, but damn!" I held out my hand reluctantly, and she squealed. She pulled off the lid, and I immediately smelled it. It smelled good and bad. Weird, I know.

I looked at my hand when she was done. She had written I 3 Max. I rolled my eyes.

"Is it not obvious enough?" I asked, giving her a why-the-hell-did-you-put-that-on-my-hand look. Okay. That's new. She frowned.

"You don't want people to know?" she asked, putting on the Bambi/puppy dogface. I frowned.

"No. It's not that. Don't I have enough enemies for one day?" she smiled.

"A couple more couldn't hurt." She kissed my cheek, and happily shut her locker. "Let's go to fourth period."

"I will go anywhere with you love." She smiled.

"The moon?"

"Yep. I'll bring the Milky Way." She laughed.

"Pluto?"

"Even though it's not a planet, I'll go to Pluto and back a zillion times for you."

"The Sun?"

"I might have to bring an ice pack for afterwards, but I'll fly through the sun just to see you." She was smiling.

"How about to fourth period?"

"I'll even get there before the bell rings." She smiled as we walked into the classroom. The bell rang as we were sitting down. I looked at Max and mouthed, "Told you." She smiled.

"Okay, today we will be learning about…" why should I give a shit anyways? The school year was almost over, I'm a senior, and I don't fucking care about college. I just want to be with Max. She was either a) paying attention, or b) making it look like she was because she was actually thinking. Who knows? Maybe I should pay attention. Max will need someone with a job, but I have billions in that damn account. I should pay attention anyways, in case something happens.

"Alright. Now, turn in your books to page 379." I did as I was told. Max was at the same double table as me. Our hands both fell to our side, and she quickly grabbed mine. I glanced over at her. I rubbed circles on the back of her hand, and she started relaxing. For once. I looked forward. Max slowly slid her hand from mine so she could put her hair up. Damn. I mean it looked good either way. Well, duh, it's Max. She could be covered in dirt from head to toe and still be beautiful.

"Have a great day," our science teacher, what's-his-name said as we were walking out of his classroom. I sighed.

"Thank God the day is over," I muttered. Max smiled.  
"Thank God I have a car," she said as she was pulling me outside by the hand. She pulled me up to a dark purple mustang convertible.

She walked over to the side and unlocked it.

"This is your car?" I asked, grinning. She nodded. "I had a black one just like it." She smiled.

"Sorry. Mom chose the color. But I actually like it." I smiled and grabbed her bag.

"Pop the trunk." She nodded, and when she did, I put both of our bags in there.

"Max, Gazzy won't quit throwing things at me!" Angel yelled a few hours after we had been back from school. Max had been studying her Trig a lot. She said she promised her mom something. She looked up at me and I nodded. I walked out to solve our problem.

"Quit throwing things at him, and he'll quit throwing them at you," I said tapping her nose. She frowned.

"Well he started it," she pouted.

"And I'm ending it. Both of you stop." They nodded, and I walked back into Max's room. She had put her Trig book down. I gave her a questioning look. She smiled and patted the bed beside her. I sat down, and she laid her head on my shoulder.

"My head hurts from studying so hard," she explained. I nodded, and kissed her forehead.

"Did that help?" she smiled.

"A little." I laid my head gently on hers.

"Max, I'm rich." She looked at me. "My parents died and left all their money to me. They had billions, and still do." She blinked.

"Billions," she whispered. I nodded. I grabbed her hand.

"Max, I love you. I want to be with you forever," I informed her. She smiled.

"I want to be with you forever too, and I love you too." I kissed her quickly.

"Will you marry me?" I asked pulling a ring out of my side pocket. She stared at it, wide eyed. She looked up at me and smiled.

"Yes. I will be with you forever and ever."


End file.
